May be this old dog can still learn some new tricks on the kickstart.

SRs are very popular to modify, with demand driving up 10+ year old bike prices to same as new. Yes, raw is fun. 10 more years though and we will be riding electric.

 

I removed the tiny spring on the ACR, but I am sad to report still could not kickstart the KLX. May be it’s too technique dependent and I just have not sussed it.

It would bump start (after pushing it up a small hill) and idle fine.

 

FWIW - You move the piston to compression, keep pushing on kick start lever until it just eases over TDC, you will feel it, it will get easy to kick, don't go too much past. Let the kick starter up to the top. Put your weight into the kick. You cannot "slap kick" it like you would a two stroke, you have to give it the heave ho, to get enough spin and momentum on the engine to start. You have to put your weight behind your kick.

I hope this is of some value.

 

At the moment, I can about just feel either the exhaust or intake stroke as the kickstarter just lets go. So I guess I need to do mini steps on the kickstarter to move the piston to TDC. Saves me going to the gym anyway.

I rode a 1978 Z1000 a few years ago. Whilst it had an electric start, kickstarting that was like hot knife through butter. Too easy.

 

You will KNOW when coming up on compression without the compression release. With a 500 you can almost stand on the kick starter as it approaches. 250 will be near the same, then keep pressure on the start lever until you feel the pressure get lighter, stop there, then let up the lever and give it the heave ho! You want as much lever travel to get as much momentum as possible.

There is one other trick. with the bike in gear rock it backward until it hits back against compression. Then kick it. That is how flat trackers start their bikes without the kick start or remote starter. Back it up against compression, then pull in the clutch, get a push and bump start. Whenever I've had to start the 650 bump starting that's what I had to do, same with 500. Try it, but use the kick starter.

 

You have the best opportunity, with the KACR disabled, to find the rhythm for kickstarting your KLX.. Once you do, you can reinstall the spring and see if it still starts..

 

I think by the time I master the kickstarting rhythm, I’ll be Olympic champion in the one legged hop.

I will definitely give the in-gear-roll-back method to find TDC too. Thank you for tips and encouragement.

 

Still no luck.

Having thought about it a while, I realise the resistance I am feeling is not the compression stroke per sa but the cams opening the respective inlet or exhaust valves.

I could not rock the bike in gear as the rear tyre would just skid rather than turn over the engine.

May be kickstart is just a romantic notion for me. My late uncle who used to ride BSA, Triumphs and Nortons said what killed the British bike industry was their refusal to adapt to electric start.

The quick fix here would be a secondhand engine. It would be more economical than to split the engine and swap the inner engine casing. If anyone know of one...

Thank you all again.

 

Have you done the mcm on the bike or not? Could affect kickstarting (i think mcm is viable only on bikes without kickstart from the factory)

 

Hi dtrackermslazgromthailassi,

Most bikes I read about with the kickstart conversion are pre 2008 carburettor models. Mine is EFI. Having said that, it has started with the kickstarter, more luck than anything else.

What is an MCM?